Hollow-tile arch for ceilings



(No Model.)

v P. B. WIGHT. HOLLOW TILE AROH FOR GBILINGS.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY PETER B. VIGHT,

PATENT OFFICE.

on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WI HT FIRE- PROOFING COMPANY, OF ILLINOIS.

HOLLOW-TILE ARCH FOR CEILINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,452, dated September 25, 1883.

Application filed March 29, 1853.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PETER B. WIGHT, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hollow-TileArches for the Construction of Continuous Flat Ceilings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing illustrating the improvement, in which the figure is an isometrical view of a portion of a ceiling embodying my improvement and invention.

Hollow and porous tiles for the construction of flat arches between the iron beams of fire-proof buildings are in common use. Such arches as are usually constructed for the purpose of making continuous flat ceilings in the rooms below the beams do not afford any protection to the under sides of the beams; and in order to cover those parts of the beams and make a continuous flat ceiling on a line with the under sides of the arches, preparatory to plastering, it is necessary to fill the space be tween any two adj aeent flat arches with mortar or cement. Other methods have been employed for this purpose, in which wires have been introduced to hold the mortar or cement in place. I am, however, not aware that a continuous tile ceiling has ever been 0011- structed in the manner herein described.

My invention consists in a continuous tile ceilin g, made by first placing tiles under the beams,

throughout their entire length, of such construction, by dovetail recesses on their upper sides, that when the recesses are filled with mortar or cement, and ,the tiles pressed upward against the under sides of the beams, they will adhere to the beams sufficiently to sustain their own weight, or more,until the fiat temporary centering used to sustain the arch- I tiles while being set is placed up against them. These tiles, which I denominate soffit-tiles, are so shaped on their outside edges that skewbacks of the arches adjoiningthe soffits will sufficiently further hold them in position. To attain this end the outside edges of the sofiittiles are inclined outward and upward, and the lower portions of the adjoining skewbacks are inclined inward and downward, whereby the beams support the skewbacks, and

(No model.) i

the soffit-tiles are dovetailed in between the skewbacks. To accomplish this the skewbacks are made with wider bearings than usual, wide enough to form full bearings on the flanges of the iron beams, and continuing thence outward beyond the edges of the flanges and past the upper edges of the sofiit-tiles. The outlines of the skewbacks are then downwardand toward the beam, forming between the skewbacks on opposite sides of the beam the dovetail mentioned. Dovetail grooves formed at properintervals on the under side of the soffits and skewbacks form a good clinch for the plaster to the ceiling. If found desirable, the soifits may have air-chambers formed in them between their lower sides and the beams. The objects accomplished by this construction are the protection of the beams from fire and a superior quality of plastering, by reason of its being applied to a straight surface, of a uniform material and density, which is provided with the uniform dovetail-shaped grooves, the equal density beingimportant in preventing an un-' equal accumulation of soot. v I11 practice the sofiit-tiles are first set in position along the under sides of the beams. Then the temporary .75 centerings, made of planks or movable frames of any suitable kind, are fastened up without blocking off, so as to bear directly against the soffit-tiles, which are the true line of the ceiling. Then the skewbacks are properly 8o bedded in mortar orcement, filling the whole joint between the skewbacks, the beams, and the soffit-tiles. In setting them each tile is shoved along the centering in the direction of the beam, so as to crowd the mortar up against 8 5 the outer sides of the soffit-tiles, thus giving them the additional support desired.

In the drawing, which shows, besides the isometrical perspective, a section of two iron beams and the arch, A A represent I-beams. 0 B B represent the soffit-tiles. G G 0 represent skewbacks. D DD D represent voussoirs, and E the keystone. The mortar is represented by dotted sections. Planks forming the temporary centering are shown by dotted lines F RF F. 5

The sides of the skewbacks, where they give support to the soffits, are shown at a, and the dovetail recesses on the upper sides of the soffit-tiles are shown at c c c. The dovetailed grooves on the under sides of the soffits, skewbaeks, voussoirs, and keystone are shown at b b.

I am aware that hollow tiles between the floor-beams, in combination with a tile to cover the under side of the beams, have been used. in the construction of continuous fire-proof ceilings; but I believe that in the construction of ceilings where iron I bea1ns and hollow-tile arches are used, a soffit-tile oi the form described has never been used in combination with a supportiiigskewback which bears on the lower flange of the I-beani.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-- In a system of ceiling construction for fire proofbuildings in which iron I-beams and hollow-tile arches are used the soflit-tile B, with dovetail-shaped recess 0 on top, and outer extremities extending beyond the edges of the beam, and beveled and used in combination with the skewback of the arch O, which is so shaped as to form a support to the soffit-tile in the manner shown, and. to bear directly on the flange of the I-beain at the same time, thus giving the soffit-tile the same integrity as the arch.

March 27, 1883.

PETER ll. 'WIGHI.

\V i messes:

G. L. CHAPIN, Janus KNOX; 

